Strictly winners Giovanni Pernice and Rose Ayling-Ellis have maintained their close bond, a year on from that stunning Couples’ Choice dance.
Last night (November 11), Rose reflected on her time on Strictly Come Dancing, revealing the show had “changed her life”.
The 27-year-old actress, who played Frankie Lewis in EastEnders, was partnered with Giovanni when she joined the BBC dance competition in 2021.
She made history when was announced as part of the Strictly line-up as the first deaf contestant.
After wowing audiences with her routines, she was announced the winner in 2021.
Strictly star Rose on ‘life-changing’ moment with Giovanni
It was Rose’s emotional Couples’ Choice dance with Giovanni, 32, that cemented her as a hot favourite to win the competition.
The hugely emotional dance, to Clean Bandit’s Symphony, featured a moment of silence to reflect Rose’s deafness.
It was lauded by Strictly judges and viewers alike, with the moment even winning the 2021 BAFTA for Must-See TV moment.
That moment changed my life so much. It’s been a bonkers year, because of that dance.
Now, as this weekend marks a year since she and Giovanni first performed the moving dance on Strictly, Rose reflected on the emotional moment.
Speaking to Alex Jones and Roman Kemp on The One Show, she explained: “I’d never done dancing before Strictly. I can’t believe it’s been one year already.”
Paying tribute to the routine with Giovanni, she said:”That moment changed my life so much. It’s been a bonkers one year, because of the dance.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis quits EastEnders
With her time on Strictly having made her a household name, Rose has since chosen to depart Albert Square and pursue other projects.
Now, Rose is taking to the West End stage to tackle Shakespeare, starring as Celia in As You Like It.
Rose is incorporating her deafness into her role, using her knowledge of British Sign Language to bring a fresh interpretation to Shakespearean prose.
“You’ve seen me on EastEnders and Strictly, but I just wanted to do something new with such a different range,” she explained. “I love acting. The most acting thing you can do is probably Shakespeare.
“I never learned Shakespeare when I was younger. But I’ve now seen that Shakespeare is for everyone.”
Who does Rose want to win Strictly?
While it seems barely any time has passed since she lifted the Glitterball trophy, Rose is now preparing to pass it on to the next victor.
As she coyly revealed she shouldn’t really have favourites, she did confess that she did have a soft spot for one celebrity.
“I want Hamza Yassin to win,” Rose gushed about the Countryfile cameraman. ” I shouldn’t have favourites but he seems so lovely and his footwork is so good!
“He makes it look so effortless, and that takes a lot of hard work.”
We’ll have to see who takes the trophy when the series concludes later this year.
Read more: Strictly star Hamza Yassin reveals real reason he’s single in confession about love life
The One Show continues weeknights at 7pm on BBC One. Strictly is on tonight at 6.55pm on BBC One.
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